By ROBIN SHANNON

L’Observateur

LAPLACE –St. John Parish authorities said thieves made off with 200 cases of fundraiser candy and left a LaPlace church holding the bill.

Capt. Dane Clement, public information officer for the Sheriff’s Office, said the incident was reported Thursday after representatives from Celebration Church, 3400 U.S. Highway 51, told deputies they had received a bill from the World’s Finest Chocolate Company for chocolate candy they did not order.

According to a Sheriff’s Office report, when church officials inquired about the bill, which came to about $9,000, a representative from World’s Finest Chocolate told him 200 cases of candy were delivered to the church on Oct. 27. The delivery was made to two subjects waiting in the parking lot of the church and loaded into two separate vehicles.

Clement said the church told the company the name on the shipping order was not a recognizable member of the church or church staff.

The incident remains under investigation and anyone with information regarding the theft should contact St. John Sheriff’s Detective Jerry Fountain at 985-359-8769.